HandBrake presets

[Macintosh1984]

I'm a little confused about HandBrake presets and I'm asking you experts:

1) Is the H.265 Apple VideoToolbox 1080p preset a good quality preset? I'd like to use it because it uses my M3's hardware acceleration, but which software preset is it comparable to? I'm tired of the slow software encoder and the extreme CPU usage that causes the temperature to soar above 104°C!
2) In Final Cut Pro, when exporting to H.264 Multi-pass (Better) or HEVC 10-bit, it doesn't seem to use the CPU. Does the app rely on Apple VideoToolbox? Which HandBrake presets is it similar to?

 

[lin2log]

2) That's because your Mac uses the media engines for MPEG/ProRes exports on an Apple Silicon Mac and the GPU on an Intel! Using the CPU would be stupid.

 

[Macintosh1984]

I figured so... but speaking of quality, do media engines with Apple VideoToolbox in Final Cut Pro offer excellent quality compared to HandBrake presets?

And what about the presets that use hardware acceleration in HandBrake? What parameters should I use to achieve the same quality as software encoders, given that the quality scale varies depending on whether the codec is a SW or HW codec?

 

[!!!]

Is the H.265 Apple VideoToolbox 1080p preset a good quality preset?

No. Hardware encoding will result in significantly worse quality for the same given bitrate compared to a software encoder. This is true for Apple's hardware encoders as well.

I'm tired of the slow software encoder and the extreme CPU usage that causes the temperature to soar above 104°C!

I wouldn't classify using your full CPU as "extreme", this is a normal use-case. Apple has decided that the M-series thermal limit is above 104C. I don't know why you'd worry about it, do you complain that your car's engine is running "above 180F"?

In Final Cut Pro, when exporting to H.264 Multi-pass (Better) or HEVC 10-bit, it doesn't seem to use the CPU. Does the app rely on Apple VideoToolbox? Which HandBrake presets is it similar to?

It uses a propriety system that uses the GPU and media encoders. What exactly is happening is unknown.

What parameters should I use to achieve the same quality as software encoders

You should use a software encoder.

Hardware encoders are designed in hardware, and have limited controls to change how they operate. They are designed for low quality, low bitrate "garbage" such as zoom video calls, as well as high-bitrate real-time video capture (like when you record video with your phone).

When exporting from Final Cut, you should treat it as a video recording, that is, maximize the bitrate and let the hardware do its job of helping along a speedy export. Then, when you want to distribute, encode the export at chosen bitrates/resolutions using a software encoder. Or, if you actually work at a film studio, they may have their own proprietary systems for high-quality video compression.

 

[Macintosh1984]

Are you saying that the default H.264 Multi-pass (Better) and HEVC 10-bit presets in Final Cut Pro don't deliver good quality?